California Governor Gavin Newsom says the Trump Justice Department is investigating him and his wife

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, accusing the Trump administration of targeting him for political purposes as he considers a presidential bid.

In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, requesting records “not because they found a crime, but because they are simply trying to find one,” Newsom, a longtime political rival of the Republican president, said in a video posted on X.

“Donald Trump is not just going after me because of my mean tweets,” Newsom said, referring to his use of social media to mock Trump. He added: “He is pursuing me because I am considering running for president, because he hates that I have been attacking him over and over again for his lies and deceit.”

Full details of any investigations involving Newsom were not immediately clear.

A person familiar with the matter confirmed that there are multiple federal investigations into people around Newsom, including one related to taxes paid by his wife. The investigations began last year after whistleblower complaints in California government, and the political leadership in Washington was not involved in the decision to open them, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss ongoing investigations publicly.

It’s the latest known Justice Department investigation involving a Trump foe, a trend that has drawn criticism that the administration is using the law enforcement agency as a political weapon.

The Justice Department has also opened investigations or filed lawsuits against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, among other political enemies of the president.

“One by one, anyone who challenged Donald Trump ended up on the hit list, and today I proudly join that list,” Newsom said in the video.

The president has repeatedly gone after the Democratic-controlled state during his second term, including by curbing a signature plan to reduce planetary warning vehicle emissions, withholding aid for wildfire recovery, and filing a lawsuit over state policies that support transgender student-athletes. The state has responded by suing the federal government dozens of times.

Newsom also led a campaign to counter Trump-backed efforts in Texas to redraw congressional districts in favor of Republicans by supporting a successful redistricting measure in California aimed at Democrats winning five additional House seats.